Just a little over a week left until we close the doors at work. There's been lots of activity in the accoutning department to prepare for closing accounts, liquidate inventory, etc.

I've had a lull in my work schedule this morning and decided to start gathering up my personal items from my office. It's not surprising that an overwhelming number of the items in my office are related to geocaching, especially my corkboard devoted to special trade items and geocoins that I have picked up over time. The act of gathering up these items and repackaging them really brings a sense of finality to the closing of the business, and some of the people who have walked past my office made similar comments. The office feels dead without seeing personal things taking up space.

My family portraits, radio and fan rest along one wall to be picked up when I leave at the end of the day, while my desk is covered with phat.bak's voodoo doll, Redworm's toothpick holder and Trez's pirate trezure coin along with the snapshots of caching trips and other caching memorabilia picked up over the past three years.

Seeing the change in just my office makes me realize just how much the closing affects me. Sure, I wasn't paid as much as I could have been paid, and I had to deal with some really odd employees at times, but I got to do a job I loved to do and I worked in a company that cared about its employees. Who knows if I'll find another company like this.

I've found a temp job that will be paying me a comparable pay rate after the doors close, but I hate the thought of commuting to Alpharetta from the Gwinnett Mall area again. Hopefully there's something in the Suwannee or Hall County area that will come up soon. If nothing else comes of it, I'll have a new area to do lunchtime caches in.

Enough self-pity. Just had to express my feelings a bit and get it out of my system. Can't have negative feelings when I'm searching for a job.

Anybody know of a company in need of a payroll accountant?

Thanks for the support and encouragement I've received from the group.

Regards,

- Mark (S-4-C)

Mark,

I'm sorry you have had to go through what has happened.

I myself have not been on the end of a layoff or closing, but have been through 5-6 rifs over the years with Lucent/OFS.
I've watched at least 20-30 close workers pack up their belongings and leave (1 had worked there for 32 years and been their only job).
Each time there is an emptyness that will not be refilled while I work there.

I'm glad you have something waiting, even if temp, and will keep a lookout for positions in your field.

Keep you head up with confidence that you will move into another position as good if not better than where you were. The job market in Atlanta is thriving and you will find something.

Kenneth

In the last 6 years I've been forced out of two different jobs for different reasons unrelated to incompetence. Each time I left one job it felt devastating because so much of our identity is tied up in our identity as a worker. Each time I came out the other end of the universal "digestive tract" I found something better -- dramatically better.

Life is change upon change and some of them feel crumby. I recommend you look at the various units of the university system for accounting-type positions. I also recommend you check out your local labor department, and I suspect much of it can be done on-line now. There are some re-training benefits that you might be entitled to. I would check into that. MariettaGecko might know more about that program....I'm not even sure of the name. If you EVER wanted to go back to school and retrained in something else -- now might be the time.

You have a change of circumstance right now that might make you eligible for a good bit of financial aid if you ever wanted to do more college or additional training in some area. It's just something to think about.

I found for myself that I sunk into a deep, deep depression the first time I had to leave a job and it took me a long, long time to resurface. In that depression it was hard for me to make myself do things. I had to set goals for myself, and I made it a point to network with someone EVERYDAY. Everyday I had to talk to someone, write to someone, fill out a Monster search, or do one something that contributed to my finding my next job/career. I was frustrated that it took so long (3 months) to find another job, but I was able to make a career transition and it was very affirming to me how many friends stood by me and helped in small and very big ways (I had one friend introduce me to the Governor, for crying out loud!).

Take inventory. What can you do? Yes, you know you can do accounting, but do you also have computer skills that can be morphed into a job? Do you ever want to teach vocational skills in K-12 education (go to http://www.gapsc.com and look into the TAPP program)? Can you supliment your income by doing part-time work somewhere?

Go to temp agencies and apply there. Today a lot of employers want to try on employees before they actually hire them. Try on the job employer before you actually hire yourself out too! Doing a temp job can give you some coosh between doing LOTS and doing little during the day. It can allow you to keep up the routine so that you still have to get up and get going each day.

Identify where you want to be, what kind of work environment you prefer, and then look for the RIGHT job and the job you'd use as a stepping stone. Some people have to patchwork a couple of part-time positions together to get the equivalent of a full-time salary for awhile. Sometimes part-time work is easier to find.

Try hard to think positive thoughts. Take inventory about where you want to be and what skills you want to be using. Make goals, and then do it. Just get up every morning and do it.

I'll be thinking positive thoughts for you. I fell into K-12 education and it ended up being a good thing for me. (Though I have had bad moments.) Call someone everyday. Ask them to hold one of your resume's to give to a friend or colleague if they see an opportunity. Surf, surf, surf the web, but go, go, go in person too. Be persistent. Don't let the apathy of employers to get you down. Hang on tight to the end of that rope -- I'm sure you can hang in there.

Regards,
Birdies

KP and Birdies:

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm getting a good bit of activity on my job search. I have another interview today, in fact. I just don't like the fact that the interview is near the airport when I live in Lawrenceville.

My spirits are up and our household is doing fine so far. I'm just ready for someone to give me that "yes" that I've been looking for. THings could be worse, though - At least I'm getting interviews.

I should add that I've expanded my search to the Savannah area as well. We've thought about moving to that area a few times and now might be be the best time to make that happen. I just have to find the right employer.

Thanks again,

- Mark (S-4-C)

Just an update.

I've gone from having one temp job to having three possible job offers to choose from. Each pays more than the current position, but they're all much farther away than the current one as well. Two are in Alpharetta and one is downtown at the SunTrust building.

Hmmmm... Deal with the traffic going downtown on the interstate, or deal with it going from Lawrenceville to Alpharetta on 2 lane roads?

I'm glad I have choices, but I'd much rather find something more towards Gainesville. Hopefully by Friday I'll have everything resolved.

quote:

Originally posted by Strapped-4-Cache:
Hmmmm... Deal with the traffic going downtown on the interstate, or deal with it going from Lawrenceville to Alpharetta on 2 lane roads?

It is a hard choice about traffic.

Going downtown could be a pain and there are no buses from Lawrenceville (of course you could grab one at Discover Mills).
You might find a ride-share partner and be able to use HOV lanes.

Traffic to Alpharetta with red lights could be a pain too.
Seems from what I've heard, you got to hit the roads early to make it through that mess.

Best to just pick the job you think will be the best and live with the driving.
Audio books and podcasts (try one about caching) help pass the time.

I'm phone interviewing tomorrow for a job in Sandy Springs.
So from Dacula to there would be 31 miles through traffic one-way.

Kenneth

Housing prices are much lower down here in Savannah

Mark,

Any updates on what you decided?

Also, my interview panned out and I have taken a new position at another company.
The hours will be 10am-7pm so traffic might not be quite as bad and I will get to telecommute on a rotation...about 1 day every week and a half.

Kenneth

Congrats on the new job! Hope it turns out to be all you want.

quote:

Originally posted by Ertman110:
Housing prices are much lower down here in Savannah

Yep, and the winter weather is milder than the metro area. But I had a job opportunity in Savannah many years ago and turned it down because of the cost of putting my 3 kids in private school. And Palmer's Restaurant is gone.

Well,

I've been working at ADP in Alpharetta for a week now. Friday my manager asked me if I'd like a full time job there, and I'm still trying to decide. Seems like all of the recruiters are steering me to the same area, but I guarantee that as soon as I decide to take the job I'll get an offer in the Gwinnett area.

Since the only problem I have with the job is the commute, I'm thinking about taking it. Good working conditions, better pay, convenient area to be in once there, etc. If I can manage to get an earlier shift it'll definitely be a worthwhile position.

Once I find out more about the cost of benefits and what benefits are offered I'll have a better idea about how I'll decide.

Mark,

Glad to hear.
Hard choices, but they are good ones compared to others you might have to make.

I heard yesterday that one of our payroll admins is leaving to work at ADP in Alpharetta, so if you see Spence Trollinger tell him I said hi.

Kenneth

quote:

Originally posted by CharlieP:

quote:

Originally posted by Ertman110:
Housing prices are much lower down here in Savannah

Yep, and the winter weather is milder than the metro area. But I had a job opportunity in Savannah many years ago and turned it down because of the cost of putting my 3 kids in private school. And Palmer's Restaurant is gone.

Palmers sucked bad during the last couple of years that it was open. No big loss when it finally closed.

quote:

I've been working at ADP in Alpharetta for a week now.

I've attended several training classes there and know a few of the folks. I've always enjoyed working with the ADP people. They did get a bit of a black eye in the automotive press a couple of months ago for selling some of their client's vehicle service histories to Carfax, but that's the only negative I've ever heard about ADP.

~erik~

I'm going to work for one of their competitors...Ceridian.

Kenneth

As for the Commute, I make the trip from Flowery Branch to Windward everyday(for the past 4 years). My next door neighbor also makes the trip, so we car pool. It makes things so much easier. I have to be there by 7:00am and hit the road by 6:15 and can usually make it. IT it is all back roads, I stay away from 400 because that gets backed up to 141 pretty early now. James burgess, to old atlanta, then to old alpharetta road, then to mcginnis is the quickest way I've found so far. Good luck. Hey there's alot of caches in alpharetta to do, so there is a bonus.

I, myself, have just recently found myself out of work(september 7) and just re-employed(October 24). While I wish that I hadn't foudn myself unemployed, it gave me an impetus to do something I had needed to do for a long time: Move on. I am now being paid nearly half again what I was being paid before, soing a job that I enjoy a LOT more, and I'm going to be working a LOT closer to home, to boot! I have enjoyed it so far, and can't wait for the company to get me my badge and email accounts and everything so that I can really get to work.

Congratulations to the little colored lizzard!